Intimacy is the deep human need involving a mental and emotional sense of well-being. We all have an inherent need to be loved and appreciated- no matter the age or our chronic kidney disease. The desire for sexual activity, on the other hand, could vary for a lot of reasons – medication, general fatigue or depression. All of them might be some of the reasons for not being in the mood for having sex as often as before.
Sex and dialysis can go together
Dialysis can be really challenging when it comes to sexuality and intimacy. Communication between partners is the right way to overcome these barriers , improve your sex life and feel more comfortable in intimacy.
Intimacy and vascular access
Talk to your doctor or nurse, if you have any concerns about that being intimate with someone will harm your dialysis access. You could also ask how to protect it when having sex. Generally, you should avoid direct pressure on the fistula or prosthesis.
Lack of motivation
There can be many reasons for not being in a mood for having sex. The cause might be a physical condition – such as anemia, medication, diabetes or fatigue. On the other hand, it can be also psychological. It is a good idea to ask your doctor about finding out the root cause – even if your lack of motivation at this stage, is not a problem for you. Intimate moments are important for both mental and physical health of you and your partner.
You want more intimacy
If you want to have more sex – or better sex – talk to your doctor, nurse or psychologist. These specialists can advise you on both medical and psychological issues. It is important to know that erectile dysfunction (ED) is very common in men as well as sexual dysfunction (arousal or orgasm) in women during dialysis treatment. Remember that members of your healthcare team are used to consult these sexual and intimacy problems, so don’t worry.
Talk to your partner
You might be surprised about how many people don’t want to talk about sex with their partners. Most couples think that, it is not an important and necessary issue. On the other hand, discussing and listening about both of your needs can make your relationship stronger and happier.